A RARE CINNABAR LACQUER CARVED 'DRAGON' TRAY

16th/17th century

16th/17th century
The well of the rectangular tray carved through layers of cinnabar lacquer with a writhing five-clawed dragon pursuing the flaming pearl amidst wispy ruyi-shaped clouds, the interior and exterior sides similarly carved with ruyi clouds, all on a diaper-pattern ground. 25.4cm (10in) long.

十六世紀/十七世紀 剔紅雲龍紋長方形盤

Provenance:
Captain W.F. Collins (1865-1948), Beijing, who sent the lacquer tray to Bluett's on 27 May 1926
Bluett & Sons Ltd., London
E. A. Parry (1879-1946), London, acquired from the above on 7 June 1927, and thence by descent

Captain William Fellows Collins, was agent in Peking for the Anglo-French China Corporation Ltd and for S. Pearson & Son, and supplied Bluett's. John Sparks, Franck & Co and other dealers with consignment of Chinese ceramics and works of art from Beijing. He later reached the rank of Colonel and was awarded the DSO. For more information about Collins, see R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance, Oxon, 2011, p.124.

來源：
高林士（1865-1948）於1926年5月27日由北京送至倫敦古董商Bluett's
倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.
倫敦E. A. Parry（1879-1946）舊藏，於1927年6月7日購於上者，後由家族繼承

高林士（William F. Collins上尉），時任聯華銀公司（Anglo-French China Corporation Ltd）及英國培生集團（S. Pearson & Son）駐北京代理，並為英國Bluett's、John Sparks、Franck & Co 等古董商由北京提供中國古董及藝術品。其後擢升至上校，並被授予傑出服務勳章。有關高林士的具體信息，參見R.Davids與D.Jellinek著，《Provenance》，牛津，2011年，頁124。

Notable for its extremely fine and deep carving, made possible through the varying thickness of the lacquer ground, this exceptional tray relates to the extremely fine lacquer wares manufactured in the Imperial Workshops during the reign of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty. See a carved yellow and red lacquer 'dragon' tray, Xuande Yiwei mark, 16th/17th century, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.111, no.99. See also a related qiangjin and tianqi lacquer tray, decorated with a similar design of dragons, Wanli Renchen year and of the period, in the Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo, illustrated by Ch'iang-chin, Chinkin and Zonsei, Lacquerware, Tokyo, 1974, p.73, no.53.

Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back in the sea, dragons were seen as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and symbolic of the Emperor and Imperial power. Typically, the representation of five-clawed dragons was reserved for Imperial wares. Ruyi-clouds were also auspicious, as they resembled the lingzhi fungus, prized for its attributions of longevity, and combined with the dragon represent auspicious wishes of longevity to the Emperor.

Compare the present tray with a related carved yellow and red lacquer 'dragon' tray, Wanli mark, cyclically dated Renchen year corresponding to 1592 and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2018, lot 52.

盤方形，斜沿，圈足，足內髹黑漆，盤心雕有一尾五爪龍，四周環繞如意雲紋，盤身內外壁均剔刻錦地如意雲紋以為飾。漆層厚重，刀法深邃。本例漆地在不同處厚薄有異，因此其雕工亦深淺不一，精細之餘更是極富層次感，大有明萬曆朝御製漆器之風範。參看台北國立故宮博物院藏一件明十六/十七世紀宣德款剔彩雙龍紋長方盤，收錄於《和光剔彩——故宮藏漆》，台北，2008年，編號99。另見日本根津美術館藏一件明萬曆戧金填彩雙龍紋盤，底刻萬曆壬辰紀年款，其紋飾與本品一致，見《鎗金・沈金・存星一図版資料》，東京，1974年，頁73，編號53，其紋飾亦資參考。

傳說中，龍既可翱翔天際亦可潛行深海，因此被視為擁有溝通天地的能力，同時亦是皇權之象徵；其中五爪龍紋更被認為是皇家專用。如意雲紋亦是中國紋樣中常見的祥瑞裝飾，其形似靈芝，而後者也被認為是延年益壽之物。該盤結合龍紋與靈芝紋為飾，可能是用於皇家壽儀之物。

比較一例明萬曆1592年制剔黃雙龍雲紋長方盤，底刻「大明萬曆壬辰年製」款，售於香港邦瀚斯2018年11月27日，拍品編號52。